Sisi’s campaign shaping up

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's presidential campaign has appointed former ambassador to the UN Mahmoud Karem as its general coordinator and will be relying on the advice of politicians and intellectuals, a campaign source told London-based pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Sunday.

After months of anticipation, Sisi finally resigned from his military post last Wednesday, announcing his intention to run for president in the coming presidential elections.

The source told Asharq al-Awsat that former presidential candidate Amr Moussa and veteran journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal are among Sisi’s advisers. Heikal has been rumored to be involved in writing Sisi’s speeches and his program for months.

The source said that Sisi decided to rely on senior experts to relay the problems that Egypt faces and find solutions and that he would depend on young people to campaign on the ground across the country.

The source said that the campaign is currently hosting intensive meetings in order to finalize its make-up.

Moussa had announced some elements of Sisi’s electoral platform to the media days before he formally announced his intention to run.

The ambitious plan, as announced by Moussa, is aimed at rebuilding the state on modern grounds and achieving a better quality of life for Egyptians. According to Moussa, Sisi will focus on bringing down poverty rates, restoring security and combatting unemployment.

In his announcement speech on Wednesday, Sisi said that he would not employ a traditional campaign. The campaign program would reveal his vision for the future, Sisi said.

Sisi also said that Egypt faces difficult times ahead, asserting that he does not have a magical cure but will work hard to face various challenges.

Rebuilding the state, revitalizing the economy and bringing back the “prestige of the state” would be central aims of his tenure as president, Sisi explained.

The High Elections Commission will announce presidential elections dates on Sunday.